How to Plan a Funeral

Planning a funeral

Reprinted with permission by Love Lives On

Planning a funeral, whether for yourself or a loved one, is not an easy task. There are many details that need to be organized, such as whether you choose burial or cremation, what casket or urn to purchase, which cemetery to choose, where to hold the service, what to include in the program, what music to play, where to purchase flowers, and who will deliver the eulogy.

This all may seem very overwhelming and you may not know where to begin. For this reason, many people choose to plan their funeral service with the assistance of a funeral home. Working with a funeral home provides you with guidance and expert advice from industry professionals as you navigate through all the steps of the funeral planning process. It is the job of the funeral home to coordinate all funeral arrangements including preparation of the body. They will also help you decide on which products or services you may need for the funeral or memorial service, burial; or cremation.

This article will provide you with tips on how you can work with the funeral home to make the funeral planning process go as smoothly as possible

1) Pick the Right Funeral Home

The most important thing that you can do to ensure that you have a positive experience when working with a funeral home is to select the right funeral home for you. Do your research and meet with the funeral director and staff before you commit to a funeral provider. Working with a funeral director that you feel comfortable with, one who is knowledgeable, and whose input you trust is key to a successful relationship.

Trust your gut! If you don’t feel comfortable with a particular funeral home then look elsewhere.

Some individuals may feel that funeral homes are out to take advantage of people in vulnerable situations and charge them far more money than is necessary. This misconception stems from the fact that people do not understand the different products and services that funeral homes provide. When they receive a large bill they can be upset and confused.

2) Ask Lots of Questions

If you feel that your funeral service quote is high, or you don’t understand why you need to spend money on something like a casket liner, ask your funeral provider to explain the associated costs. Ask them to review the itemized price list for the entire funeral; you will see that many of the costs charged are paid out to external vendors such as florists and newspapers for obituaries. By asking for clarification you will put your mind at ease and facilitate a trusting relationship.

3) Know When to Take a Step Back

It is important to know when to take a step back and let your funeral service provider take the lead on certain decisions. If the decisions you are making have personal significance to the deceased or are ways you want to personalize the funeral service to reflect the life of the deceased, you should take the lead and explain why a certain product, service or preference is important to you.However, if you are looking at alternatives, such as purchasing a particular type of casket based on your Google research, it might be best to take a step back and listen to the advice of the funeral director. They are experts and have the experience in making these kinds of decisions.

Be Prepared, But Not Too Prepared

It is important to understand your role in the funeral planning process so that you can start to gather information and create questions to ask your funeral service provider that will help you make some difficult decisions. If you begin the planning process with no idea about what decisions you have to make, you may be so overwhelmed with new information that you find it extremely difficult to make a decision. However, you don’t want to be so prepared that you have every detail planned out. You may start to second-guess and disregard the advice of the funeral director.

Although you may think that you have priced everything properly and have organized every detail the way you want it, there may be reasons that these arrangements are not practical. It is important to listen to the suggestions provided by the professionals. That is why you hired them.

Remember

A positive working relationship with a funeral home can relieve some of your stress during the funeral planning process. It will allow for the funeral or memorial service of your loved one to proceed as smoothly as possible.

A final thought:
Consider Making a Tribute Video

Funerals can be challenging and emotional. SpeechBooth allows attendees to leave words of comfort for the family that they can listen to whenever they want. A videobooth can also use the opportunity when everyone is together to record important stories, memories, and thoughts. To learn more about SpeechBooth for funerals or celebration of life events, visit speechbooth.com/memorial-funeral

Set your menu in Appearance > Menus